WHITESBORO – Most people donate to Habitat for Humanity Cape May County. For the first time, between Dec. 21 and Dec. 28, someone stole from Habitat nearly $4,000 worth of power tools stored in an unmarked construction trailer at 209 Reeves St.
Budd Springer, project manager, and Shawn Lockyear, Habitat’s executive director, were mortified and mystified at the theft of DeWalt tools that included nail guns, a sawzall, oscillating tool, drills and screwdrivers, a planer, and Skil saws.
The theft, reported to Middle Township Police Department, was discovered when volunteers reported to the job site early on the morning of Dec. 28 as temperatures hovered about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
The 1,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, “stick-built” house is about three weeks from completion for the Garcia-Santiago family of Middle Township, Lockyear said. She noted that family members had already completed their allotted number of “sweat equity” hours working on their future home.
For Lockyear, the theft is doubly disheartening. She said the tools were purchased with the first grant she wrote to acquire funds from the Mustard Seed, a local charitable organization.
All the stolen tools were stenciled with “HFH CMC” in bold letters, should someone attempt to sell them.
Lockyear said that the public’s support for Habitat via its ReStore at 20 Court House-South Dennis Road in the shopping plaza next to Big Lots in Court House had enabled the organization to build three to four homes per year.
She also noted that the number of tools stolen had enabled volunteers, sometimes as many as 25, to work at one time.
On Dec. 28, there were about 10 volunteers working on various parts of the house. Dedication is scheduled for some time in February, Springer said.
He added that the home is the sixth Habitat-built home he’s worked on in Whitesboro and none ever experienced a theft of any kind.
Middle Township has made properties in Whitesboro available to Habitat, both as donations and sale, as part of their commitment to support the creation of affordable housing, according to Habitat’s website.
“Our Whitesboro projects have included a new home on Reeves Street in 2012, and four houses on East Anna Street, Sumner Street, and West Anna Street during 2014-16,” the website states.
“Due in part to the generosity of Middle Township, Habitat is able to sell the houses to our homeowner partners at below market rate, which when combined with Habitat’s zero interest mortgage, makes the monthly payments affordable for hard-working local families,” the site states.
Lockyear said all donations to offset the theft would be appreciated and can be made at the ReStore, where the Habitat office is located.
Lockyear said she has been with Habitat since 2009 and never experienced such a problem as the theft.
Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact Middle Township Police Department at 465-8700.
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